Using face oil can seem antithetical, especially if you have an oily complexion or were weaned since grade school to assault your skin with an alcohol-laden, three-step regimen that scoured your face of every last bit of sebum possible.

If a product stings that means it's working, right? Not necessarily.

Europeans have used face oil as a kinder, gentler alternative to achieve beautiful skin for ages and with several brands launching new products in this category in the U.S., we thought it's time, with expert feedback, to take a closer look.

"Europeans have always been into skin that has a glow of more hydration," says Henriksen, who when he was educated in London was taught that oils are an integral, impactful and extremely therapeutic part of maintaining youthful skin. "I began using face oils early on in the treatment room in my spa. I love the way that they calm and comfort the skin – they make the skin soft and supple." He says that in America the matte look has often been in vogue, thus our obsession with oil-free moisturizers and phobia of using complexion oil.

Indeed, Henriksen's clients, especially those with very eruptive acne, are often surprised that a blend of sesame, avocado or wheat germ oil with two drops of eucalyptus, two drops of tea tree oil and two drops of rosemary oil prior to extractions "helps the pus easily come out of the pores," he says.

"It's anti-inflammatory and you're immediately going to see the skin calm down. ... You associate acne with oil and sebaceous glands, but internally there is a whole imbalance that causes the skin to act out that's not necessarily associated with the oils you ingest or use topically."

But he understands that if you have acne and/or very oily skin and don't have an expert like him to walk you through it, face oil can be a hard sell.

"The average person who is going to buy complexion oil has normal, combination or dry skin," says Henriksen, adding that you can use oil in its singular form or use a product that pairs oils with other proven skin-care ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.

Many experts, including Dr. Ava Shamban, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the UCLA-Geffen School of Medicine and author of the new book "Heal Your Skin: The Breakthrough Plan for Renewal," think it's best to use face oil at night. But note that A-list makeup artists including the extraordinarily talented Pati Dubroff, whose work has appeared in Vogue, Vanity Fair and Harper Bazaar, prior to applying makeup, massages a drop of face oil into moisturizer. Focus on applying to the outer portions of the face, says Dubroff, who likes Själ Saphir Concentrate Anti-Aging Face Oil ($175, barneys.com).

There are also many cleansing oils on the market now. Shu Uemura, a pioneer in the category, just launched several products, including its Fresh Pore Clarifying Gentle Cleansing Oil ($67). Murad Renewing Cleansing Oil launches in June ($32).

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